Pekoe & Bean — Restaurant in Bremen Township

Summary if you don't have time for the rest: Coffee and atmosphere/decor is great. Food is fine. Personnel don't seem to want patrons unless they follow somekind of unwritten rules. Reservations seem key here.

I've been looking for a local coffee shop in the area for far too long. When someone recommended Pekoe & Bean I was very excited to try.

My first visit was to just pick up a coffee to try it out. Iced coffee was great and for a great price! The atmosphere and decor was unique and welcoming as well. I planned to come back often.

I needed a place to do work without interruption, on a Monday morning, as my home has a lot of distractions (baby and toddler). I immediately thought of this place with it's great vibe, places to sit, and delicious coffee. The window had a sticker about being a great place to work.

I walk in, order my coffee and ask if the wifi is functional and if I can sit to work. When I was asked if I had a reservation, and I didn't, I was asked to wait to see if there was anything available. I was made to feel like I made a major faux pas for not doing this, thinking perhaps everyone came to work here and a reservation is paramount. I was given a spot though. I am the only customer at this time in the morning.

I don't like to take a seat at a business without supporting it. After my coffee, I also ordered food and while ordering asked if I should be following some kind of rules with my spot since I'd never really been here before in this capacity. My response was, "We're a restaurant". That didn't really seem to be an answer to my question and you can label your business however you want. My observations of a coffee counter, open space of seating, no host stand, an events board to sign up for and attend, all seemed to me like a Coffee/Tea shop with "Come here to relax and hang out" vibe.

I went back to my seat and waited for my food. I was still the only one there. A group of 4 came in and claimed a reservation but it was not found and again they were treated like it was going to be VERY inconvenient to find a place for them on a Monday late morning with one soul sitting down. I'm sorry, but how many reservations could there be that these 4 people could not be served some tea/coffee and a small sandwich or something and then they would leave?

They were sat. My food arrived. It was fine. Then my internet started cutting out. I'm not an IT tech but I can hold my own and began my troubleshooting. Even tried connecting via my phone hotspot. Nothing worked for 30-40 minutes. No other people came in to sit during this time. I decided to leave with the unwelcoming communications to this point with not just me, but these other people as well, I did not really want to be there anymore anyway. I mentioned their internet was out as I was leaving and was immediately told "Sorry, it's bad". But why didn't my hotspot on my phone work either? Never any issues before and the moment I got home, internet works fine.

I'm not clear on whether or not this business wants customers. I might understand the cold welcome for me, assuming I would sit all day, and take up room where more paying customers might be, but I saw it for a group wanting to sit down and eat and presumably leave after. Also, if someone is "new" to being a customer in your business and is unaware, maybe tell them what they should expect instead of the cold attitude. Maybe it's more welcoming if you have that...

Updated Review (6/17/2022): ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

We went here again today and I have been here several times since my first visit over a year ago. First of all, the atmosphere was comfortable, clean and cool on a hot summer day. I ordered full tea and so did my husband. We also ordered a corn chicken chowder soup. With the full tea we each got a drink. I had the cold watermelon lemonade and my husband has the English breakfast (black tea).

Overall, the watermelon lemonade was good 😊. I liked it so much that I got a refill to take home. My husbands hot tea was weak despite steeping it for 5 minutes as recommended.

The food was just okay. The roast beef sandwich has an aioli spread. I liked it but my husband didn’t. The corn chicken chowder was more of a Mexican/jalapeño soup. It was good but the chicken in the soup was dry and didn’t taste fresh. It also was so unbelievably hot (I think microwaved to warm it up?) but that made eating the soup unpleasant.

The zucchini salad, fruit skewers with meat, cucumber and dill sandwiches and caprice salad in a pastry cup were all very good and fresh.

The scones were quite good. The lemon curd was very tasty !! We were given 2 plain and 2 raisin/berry type scones. These were nice and we came home with extra to have tea with later. Clotted cream was ample and fresh tasting.

On to the desserts!!! ———————————— Here is where I think Pekoe and Bean lose major points. Everything we got was store bought and came out frozen. We couldn’t even eat the cheesecake or cream puffs. The macaroons were just ordinary macaroons and the elephant ear cookie was your basic Costco cookie. I wouldn’t be surprised if they get the desserts from Costco or a similar place. This is disappointing.

I really like that Pekoe and Bean are close by and in the neighborhood. I also like that you can use Google assistant to book a (last minute) reservation.

Cost/Value- I frequent another tea shop that is all fresh and homemade. Their tea is $8 cheaper per person. $38 for tea is expensive. I would expect homemade desserts for that price. The value you get for frozen food isn’t great. Pekoe and Bean’s competition is outclassing them at this point in both price and quality/freshness of food.

Service was attentive.

Overall, with new desserts and some fresher options I think P and B could be a 5 star tea shop. We will return as I love going to tea but we may skip the full tea for next time.

———— Went here today and loved it. Staff was friendly and welcoming... this can be rare at a tea shop so we were pleasantly surprised!!!!

Food was sooo good. I loved the steak sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches and ham and cheese croissant 🥐!! Everything was fresh and tasty. I had iced mango green tea and it was very refreshing. We will definitely be back. We are so happy to have a new tea shop to go to. Be back...

Pekoe & Bean – Tinley Park, IL

Tucked inside an older commercial building along Oak Park Avenue in Tinley Park is a quaint coffeehouse called Pekoe & Bean. I’ve driven past it for years with every intention of stopping in, but never did—until today.

Though the building itself is dated, it’s clean and sits in a family-friendly stretch of old downtown Tinley Park.

Stepping inside, you’re immediately struck by the charm. The space is graced with antique-style furniture from a bygone era—tables, artifacts, seating, and décor that create a rustic warmth. The countertop has the feel of an early-era bar. My guest and I were warmly greeted by Debbie, who was personable, attentive, and well-versed in the menu.

I ordered a medium roast coffee and a strawberry muffin, while my guest enjoyed a cheese Danish latte and a lemon poppyseed muffin. Both were excellent—but what truly stole the show was the soup. If you visit, don’t miss their white bean soup with seasonal vegetables. It was absolutely delicious—clearly homemade, perfectly seasoned, with freshly diced chicken breast, greens, white beans, celery, and onions that blended into a flavorful, hearty broth. This is the kind of soup made with intention and care. I could have easily eaten a large bowl and would return just for that alone.

The menu is varied and worth exploring—take your time with it, and don’t hesitate to ask questions. Debbie’s knowledge of the offerings was impressive.

While exploring, I also discovered their private dining rooms, which can be rented for larger gatherings—a great option for groups.

My only concern lies with the location. Parking is very limited, and the narrow entry/exit on busy Oak Park Avenue can be difficult to navigate. The area is car-heavy, which I suspect limits some of the walk-in business. I can’t help but imagine how much better this café would thrive if the strip had wider sidewalks and more walkable streets to match the ongoing revitalization along Oak Park Avenue.

Inside, the atmosphere is cozy, though I think a little brightening—lighter walls or ceilings—would make the space feel even more inviting and alive.

On the walls, you’ll also find local artwork for sale, along with a collection of house souvenirs available for purchase.

One note: the menu does include a request that guests be mindful of a 1 hour and 45 minute seating limit.

All in all, Pekoe & Bean is a charming spot worth visiting—and if you do, make sure the soup is part...